San Francisco 49ers standout wideout Brandon Aiyuk talked about his recent contract negotiation challenges on Deebo Samuel’s latest podcast.
49ers’ Brandon Aiyuk states that relationships impacted choice to remain
The 49ers wide receiver confessed that the choice was somewhat emotionally driven during the debut of “Cleats and Convos.” Aiyuk mentioned it ultimately revolved around “staying with the family” when he finalized his extension back in August.
Deebo Samuel also shared his opinions on the matter and conveyed some of the counsel he provided to his colleague. Samuel notably encountered his own conflict with San Francisco regarding contracts in 2022.
“I warned him early on before it even commenced like ‘bruh it’s gonna be challenging times it’s not gonna be as smooth as you wish it to go,'” Samuel stated.
“I just kinda advised him ‘at the end of the day it’s gonna resolve itself whichever way you need it to resolve.’ I wasn’t going to delve too deeply into it because when I was experiencing it I didn’t want to be disturbed either.”
Aiyuk believes negotiations could have unfolded more smoothly
Aiyuk inked a four-year, $120 million contract extension a few weeks prior to the season’s kickoff. He initially sought a trade back in July, which opened the doors for teams to present offers throughout the offseason. The 49ers were also open to shopping him around, at one stage nearing a deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Aiyuk acknowledged that the impasse in negotiations was partially his responsibility during a press conference before the season commenced.
“I’m not going to sugarcoat it, I made it somewhat more challenging than it had to be in the end,” he remarked.
Aiyuk had only four receptions for 43 yards in the 49ers’ defeat against the Vikings on Sunday, and his performance was not much better the previous week in the victory against the Jets.
Image Source: Brandon Aiyuk @ Instagram
